Last week’s Burnt Offerings fell victim to the Dreaded Deadline Doom, so my apologies to regular readers of this column, if any. This week is a little light on new releases but I’ll try to scrounge up some interesting morsels just the same. As ever and always shall be, please channel your shopping cyberdollars through the little banners seen below and accept our gratitude for helping support The Bits. [Read on here...]

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Possessed (1947) – Joan Crawford delivers an outstanding, Oscar-nominated performance in this film noir classic as a mentally unstable woman recounting the events that led to her being charged with murder. This isn’t the only new Blu-ray from Warner Archive lately. Last week, the James Cagney musical classic Yankee Doodle Dandy arrived on Blu. Also recently announced, Pete Kelly’s Blues with Jack Webb and George Sanders in The Picture Of Dorian Gray.

Back In Print – Warner Archive doesn’t have any new-to-DVD releases this week but they do have five older out-of-print titles back in circulation. These include Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-Up, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Sergio Leone’s The Colossus Of Rhodes, Billy Wilder’s Love In The Afternoon and I Love You, Alice B. Toklas starring Peter Sellers.

Those are some pretty big names, so permit me to engage in some idle, completely unfounded speculation. At an event last week at the Wexner Center for the Arts, the Criterion Collection’s Kim Hendrickson and Curtis Tsui confirmed that Warner Bros. titles will finally be coming to Criterion. There are at least a few titles up there that I’m guessing Criterion would love to get their hands on. Particularly Blow-Up but I could see them going for the Hitchcock and Wilder titles, too. So I wouldn’t be too terribly surprised if one or more of those titles were presented on Blu-ray by Criterion at some point in the future. But that’s just a guess, so don’t hold my feet to the fire over this.

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

One Wild Night (1938) – Journalist June Lang and budding criminologist Dick Baldwin team up to solve a series of disappearances in a small town in this comedy.

NEW FROM THE UNIVERSAL VAULT SERIES

Supernatural (1933) – The Universal Vault creaks back open with a selection of horror and mystery titles just in time for Halloween. Carole Lombard is possessed by the spirit of an executed serial killer in this thriller from White Zombie director Victor Halperin.

Secret Of The Blue Room (1933) – Gloria Stuart’s suitors must prove their worth by spending the night in a room where multiple murders took place.

Son Of Ali Baba (1952) – Tony Curtis has the title role in this sword-and-sandal epic costarring Piper Laurie.

Back In Print – Many titles from previous Universal box sets are now available individually on MOD, including The Black Cat (1941), Horror Island (1941), Man Made Monster (1941), Night Monster (1942), Captive Wild Woman (1943), Cult Of The Cobra (1955), The Mole People (1956), The Deadly Mantis (1957), and The Monolith Monsters (1957).

NEW FROM THE MGM LIMITED EDITION COLLECTION

MGM’s MOD program has been dormant for a couple of years, so it’s nice to see them dipping a toe back in the water. Unfortunately, their initial wave consists entirely of previously released titles coming back into print. These are Captain John Smith And Pocahontas (1953), The Purple Plain (1954), The Big Knife (1955), Time Limit (1957), The Hoodlum Priest (1961), War Hunt (1962), I Could Go On Singing (1963), They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970), Bucktown (1975), Our Winning Season (1978), A Small Circle Of Friends (1980), Body And Soul (1981), That Championship Season (1982), Dempsey (1983), The Aviator (1985), Just Between Friends (1986), Rage Of Honor (1987), Winners Take All (1987), The Chocolate War (1988), Salaam Bombay! (1988), A Dry White Season (1989), Mission Of The Shark (1991), Wild Orchid 2 (1991), A Family Thing (1996), The Hanging Garden (1997), Ulee’s Gold (1997), Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song (2001), The Legend Of Johnny Lingo (2003), Osama (2003), and Swimming Upstream (2003). It remains to be seen if MGM plans on releasing any new titles or if they’ll just be using MOD to keep previously released discs in print from now on. I’ll be keeping an eye out.

Here’s a surprise. The long dormant MGM Limited Edition Collection has announced that they’ll soon be manufacturing on demand again. Their initial line-up is scheduled to arrive next week and I’ll be taking a look at those titles then. Before you get too excited, almost all of the titles in this first wave are previously released out-of-print movies. At least it’s something, though, and hopefully we’ll start seeing some more obscurities making their disc debuts from MGM soon.

In the meantime, here’s your weekly rundown of the week’s new MOD discs and a selection of streaming titles worthy of your attention. As always, please consider making a purchase via one of these nifty banners and you’ll help support The Bits. Many thanks if you do. [Read on here...]

NEW FROM THE SONY CHOICE COLLECTION

Vanity Street (1932) – Here’s a fairly obscure pre-Code crime flick. NYC cop Charles Bickford falls in love with showgirl Helen Chandler. But just as they’re about to get married, he arrests her for murder. With the clock ticking, Bickford does some sleuthing to clear her name and find the real killer.

Run Wild, Run Free (1969) – Mark Lester stars as a young mute boy who finds his way into the world thanks to his love for a beautiful white colt and an old recluse (John Mills) in this British family film, a former JET’s Most Wanted pick.

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

Life Begins In College (1937) – The Ritz Brothers befriend a football-playing Indian in this collegiate comedy. Look for Gloria Stuart and Lon Chaney Jr. in the cast.

Tall, Dark And Handsome (1941) – Cesar Romero stars as an underworld kingpin with a heart of gold in this comedy co-starring Milton Berle.

WIDE AWAKE IN STREAMLAND

The Woman Chaser (Netflix) – Patrick Warburton stars in this cult comedy, based on the novel by Charles Willeford. Music rights have prevented this from ever being released on DVD, so do yourself a favor and catch this while you can on Netflix. It’s a fantastic little movie.

Ganja & Hess (Fandor) – Bill Gunn’s remarkable 1973 vampire movie frequently appears on lists of the Best Horror Movies You’ve Never Seen and with good reason. If you’ve never seen it, check it out on Fandor or on DVD and Blu-ray from Kino.

Hit! (Netflix) – Billy Dee Williams and Richard Pryor in a 1973 action flick about a federal agent seeking revenge on a drug cartel? Yes, please. Newly streaming on Netflix and available on DVD and Blu-ray from Olive Films.

Skyscraper Souls (Warner Archive) – A terrific pre-Code melodrama about a businessman (Warren William) who’ll do anything and everything in his quest to acquire an office building. Maureen O’Sullivan costars in this one, also available on MOD DVD in Volume 7 of WAC’s Forbidden Hollywood Collection.

This is going to be a quick one this week, thanks primarily to the studios for their usual end-of-month slowdown. But we’ll still take a look at the few new MOD releases and offer a glance at any interesting islands in the streams. I apologize for that last joke, it was beneath us both. As always, click on the banners below if you see anything that strikes your fancy and you’ll be helping to support our work here and earning a hearty handclasp from Bill Hunt next time you run into him. [Read on here...]

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Wings Of The Navy (1939) – National treasure Olivia de Havilland takes center stage in this week’s batch from Warner Archive. In this one, Naval pilots (and competitive siblings) George Brent and John Payne vie for Miss Olivia’s affections.

Government Girl (1943) – More wartime entertainment as naïve car manufacturer Sonny Tufts heads to Washington, D.C., to help in the production of armaments. Secretary Olivia de Havilland shows him the ropes and teaches him how to play politics.

Gold Is Where You Find It (1938) – Michael Curtiz directs this Technicolor JET’s Most Wanted pick. The California gold rush provides the backdrop and Olivia de Havilland, George Brent and Claude Rains star. Available for preorder and scheduled to ship 10/7. Speaking of preorders, I think we’ve mentioned this before but WAC’s next two Blu-ray releases will be the James Cagney classic Yankee Doodle Dandy (10/14) and the Joan Crawford film noir Possessed (10/21). Both are currently available for preorder at the Warner Archive shop.

Beware The Batman: Dark Justice – Season One, Part Two (2014) – That title’s a real mouthful, isn’t it? The dark Cartoon Network series concludes on Blu-ray with the final 13 episodes.

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

Straight Place And Show (1938) – Seems like there should be some commas in that title but it was the Depression, so maybe they couldn’t afford any. The Ritz Brothers and Ethel Merman star in this race-track comedy based on a play by Damon Runyon.

Song Of The Islands (1942) – Victor Mature falls in love with Betty Grable in an island paradise in this colorful musical.

Molly And Me (1945) – Gracie Fields stars as an out-of-work actress who goes to work as a housekeeper for cantankerous politician Monty Woolley and gives his life a much-needed shaking-up.

The Lieutenant Wore Skirts (1956) – Another Most Wanted pick gets captured this week, this one from the great underrated Frank Tashlin. Sheree North enlists in the Air Force, thinking that husband Tom Ewell has been drafted again and wanting to be near him. But Ewell’s failed his medical and is stuck being a house husband while North rises up the ranks. This is also available to rent on Amazon Instant and speaking of which…

WIDE AWAKE IN STREAMLAND

Saturday Night (Hulu Plus) – Like a lot of people, I could use a nice, long break from the living art installation that is James Franco. But this Franco-directed documentary about the seven days of work that go into making an episode of Saturday Night Live sounds genuinely interesting. Not available on DVD.

A Room With A View (Netflix) – One of the very best Merchant-Ivory productions and the movie that introduced audiences to Helena Bonham Carter and Daniel Day-Lewis. This was released on Blu-ray but it’s going for crazy-koo-koo prices these days, so Netflix may be your best shot at catching this classic in HD.

Freeway (Amazon Prime) – Kiefer Sutherland and Reese Witherspoon star in Matthew Bright’s gonzo take on Little Red Riding Hood. This movie is beyond awesome-dome and apparently also out of print on DVD. Somebody needs to take care of that.

The Frozen Dead (Warner Archive Instant) – Get in the mood for this year’s Hell Plaza Oktoberfest (starting tomorrow, kids!) with one of last year’s goofiest entries. Available on MOD DVD but now streaming in high-def.

This isn’t a huge week for MOD releases but it’s a good one for fans of 1970s cult cinema. And we’re all fans of 1970s cult cinema around these parts, right? I thought so. Let’s take a look and thank you in advance for assisting The Bits by doing your DVD shopping via the array of buttons you see right… about… here. [Actually just a little farther. Click here...]

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

The Moonshine War (1970) – Elmore Leonard adapted his own novel for this Prohibition-era action-comedy starring Patrick McGoohan, Richard Widmark and Alan Alda. I can’t exactly picture any of those actors in a movie about hillbilly bootleggers, which makes this one to check out.

Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973) – A feud between two backwoods families escalates into kidnapping and all-out war. Sounds like typical hicksploitation but the over-qualified cast, including Rod Steiger, Robert Ryan, Jeff Bridges, Gary Busey, Randy Quaid and Season Hubley, suggests otherwise.

Nasty Habits (1977) – Glenda Jackson stars as an unscrupulous nun who resorts to dirty tricks in her bid to become head abbess. Any similarities between this comedy and the Watergate scandal are purely intentional. Michael Lindsay-Hogg directs an impressive cast that includes Sandy Dennis, Geraldine Page, Melina Mercouri, Anne Meara, Jerry Stiller, Rip Torn and Eli Wallach. I remember this title popping up on the HBO schedule constantly back in the day.

Maya: The Complete Series (1967-68) – Jay North and Sajid Khan reprise their roles from the 1966 movie of the same name as two teenagers finding adventure in India as they search for North’s missing dad. The set includes all 18 episodes of this one-season wonder spread over five discs.

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

Fighting Back (1948) – Paul Langton stars as an ex-con who made good in the army and is settling into a comfy post-war life with his wife and kid when his ex-partner comes looking for him. A low-budget crime drama from B-movie producer Sol M. Wurtzel.

The Girl On The Bridge (1951) – Low-budget indie auteur Hugo Haas directs, produces, co-writes and stars in this melodrama about a shopkeeper who saves a beautiful blonde from committing suicide.

Air Patrol (1962) – LAPD choppers take time off from hovering directly over my apartment building to help investigate an art heist. Blue Thunder this isn’t.

Welcome back to your weekly look at the world of hand-tossed artisan DVDs, baked fresh for your enjoyment. This week, Warner Archive reintroduces us to comedian Joe E. Brown and the Sony Choice Collection unleashes its August lineup. Let’s take a look and if anything strikes your fancy, please click on one of the banners below to get that disc out of your dreams and into your cart. It helps support The Bits and we thank you for it. [Read on here...]

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Broadminded (1931) – Ain’t no road trip like a pre-Code road trip. Rich playboy William Collier Jr. heads to California with dimbulb cousin Joe E. Brown, chasing skirts and running afoul of Bela Lugosi. Thelma Todd also makes an appearance and the screenplay is by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, so this is probably worth checking out for fans of 1930s comedies.

Local Boy Makes Good (1931) – Joe’s a milquetoast botany student in this one who reluctantly transforms into a track star to impress a girl (Dorothy Lee).

You Said A Mouthful (1932) – This time, Joe’s mistaken for a champion swimmer after he invents an “unsinkable” swimsuit. Ginger Rogers is on hand to lend some class to the proceedings. If you’re interested in vintage location filming (like I am), this is a chance to see Catalina Island circa 1932.

Elmer, The Great (1933) – And now, Joe’s a baseball player (which he actually was in real life…he turned down a spot with the Yankees to go into vaudeville). This is one of Joe’s best and most popular vehicles, so this is probably the one to try.

A Very Honorable Guy (1934) – Joe racks up a tidy sum in gambling debt to a gangster known as The Brain (Alan Dinehart), so to pick up some quick cash he sells his body to science.

Almost Human: The Complete Series (2013) – Two new cult TV shows hit DVD this week, starting with this sci-fi action series from J.H. Wyman of Fringe fame. Thirteen episodes on 3 discs including a few special features like a gag reel, deleted scenes and last year’s Comic-Con panel.

Golden Boy: The Complete Series (2013) – Theo James stars as a rising young star in the NYPD in this cop drama with flash-forwards to James as the police commissioner he eventually becomes. I admit I don’t pay as much attention to TV as I ought to but was this promoted at all anywhere? I’d never heard of this show before.

NEW FROM THE SONY PICTURES CHOICE COLLECTION

East of Fifth Avenue (1933) – Pre-Code drama that revolves around a boarding house where various down-and-out men and women converge.

Café Hostess (1940) – Ann Dvorak plays the title role, looking to leave behind the world of booze, cheap dates and despair.

The Big Boss (1941) – Otto Kruger stars in this generically-titled gangster picture whose poster promises “drama with the shock of a lightning bolt in every scene!” Not to oversell it or anything.

El Bombero Atomico (1952) – The Choice Collection continues with the work of Mexican superstar Cantinflas. In this one, he’s a firefighter who runs afoul of gangsters after he adopts his little goddaughter.

Abajo El Telón (1955) – Also known as Drop The Curtain. This time, Cantinflas witnesses a jewel robbery and is wrongfully accused of being the thief.

The Tiger Makes Out (1967) – Eli Wallach kidnaps housewife Anne Jackson to prove a point about the decline of western civilization or something. Arthur Hiller directs and the supporting cast includes such familiar faces as Charles Nelson Reilly, Frances Sternhagen and, in his feature film debut, Dustin Hoffman.

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

Champagne Charlie (1936) – Paul Cavanagh is the title character, a playboy gambler who decides to marry rich Helen Wood for her money.

Gateway (1938) – Don Ameche falls in love with Irish immigrant Arleen Whelan, only to be separated from her when she’s detained at Ellis Island. A mix of social drama and romance with John Carradine and Harry Carey Sr. in supporting roles.

First of all, let me apologize for missing virtually the entire month of July. Too much to do, not enough time to do it, you know how it goes. The good news is that Burnt Offerings is back just in time to check out a bumper crop of new MOD releases, including a couple of long-desired cult TV offerings. Without further ado, let’s dive right in. If you must have further ado, why not click through the banners and buy a few discs, which naturally helps support The Bits. Thanks muchly! [Read on here...]

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Beyond Westworld: The Complete Series (1980) – Michael Crichton’s 1973 Westworld (and its 1976 sequel, Futureworld) spawned this short-lived spinoff. Jim McMullan stars as the security chief tasked with hunting down rogue androids sprung from their theme-park environment by scientist James Wainwright. My memory of this show is hazy at best but I’m a fan of the movies, so I’m excited about checking this out.

Wizards And Warriors: The Complete Series (1983) – Now this show, I remember. Jeff Conaway stars as Prince Erik Greystone in this comedy-fantasy, battling Duncan Regehr as the dastardly Prince Dirk Blackpool. Julia Duffy and Clive Revill costar. This was a fun show but even at the time, I was hardly shocked when it was canceled after a mere eight episodes. Its loyal legion of fans will be thrilled by its arrival on DVD.

Bronco: The Complete First Season (1958-59) – Ty Hardin stars as Bronco Layne in this spinoff of the Western Cheyenne. The 5-disc set includes all 20 episodes of the first season and includes such stalwart guest stars as Claude Akins, Jack Elam, Lorne Greene and James Coburn.

The White Tower (1950) - Glenn Ford stars in the half-dozen other releases from Warner Archive this week. In this Technicolor adventure, Ford is one of six strangers who form an expedition to scale the titular “unclimbable” mountain in the Alps, presumably because it’s there. Valli, Claude Rains, Cedric Hardwicke and Lloyd Bridges costar.

Young Man With Ideas (1952) – Ford plays an ambitious young lawyer who works up the nerve to leave his small practice in Montana and move to Los Angeles. Any resemblance to my life is purely coincidental.

Trial (1955) – In this social/courtroom drama, Ford is a law professor engaged to defend a Hispanic teenager wrongfully accused of killing his white girlfriend. Arthur Kennedy nabbed a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as the pro-Communist attorney who plans to martyr his client for the cause.

Ransom! (1956) – When Ford’s son is kidnapped, he goes against the instructions of the FBI and appears on television, refusing to pay the ransom and vowing to find his child. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Ron Howard and Mel Gibson remade it 30 years later without the exclamation point in the title.

Imitation General (1958) – American troops are in a tight spot during WW2 when Sergeant Ford is mistaken for a commanding officer. Rather than risk demoralizing the men by telling them their CO has been killed, Ford goes along with the ruse in this wartime comedy.

Torpedo Run (1958) – Submarine Commander Ford and his first officer Ernest Borgnine are on the hunt for the Japanese aircraft carrier that launched the attack on Pearl Harbor. But it’s also being used to transport innocent prisoners including Ford’s wife and child.

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

Call Her Savage (1932) – Clara Bow’s second-to-last film is a fast-paced pre-Code melodrama that casts her as a free-spirited hellcat. This is widely considered to be her best talking picture, so its arrival on DVD should be greeted with a hearty “It’s about time!”

Alex & The Gypsy (1976) – Jack Lemmon stars as a sad sack bail bondsman who falls for a gypsy (Genevieve Bujold) accused of murder. This was not warmly received at the time of its release but the cast (which also includes James Woods) demands some attention.

John Garfield gets the spotlight this week and another MGM musical spectacular from the 1950s makes its Blu-ray debut. Let’s take a gander at this week’s MOD deliveries, available with the click of a mouse via the banners yonder.

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Kismet (1955) – An Arabian night, Broadway-style! Howard Keel, Ann Blyth, Dolores Gray and Vic Damone star for director Vincente Minnelli in this colorful, widescreen epic. The Blu-ray brings along the special features from the DVD release, including short subjects, cartoons, outtakes and more.

Dust Be My Destiny (1939) – A JET’s Most Wanted pick is captured at last! John Garfield stars as a hard-luck ex-con who falls in love Priscilla Lane, the daughter of the prison farm foreman. The foreman dies, forcing Garfield and Lane to go on the lam, running from a murder they didn’t commit.

Blackwell’s Island (1939) – Garfield’s on the right side of the law this time as a reporter working to take down gangster Stanley Fields. The twist is that Fields operates from within the title prison, so Garfield has to go behind bars to bring him down.

East Of The River (1940) – Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Garfield and William Lundigan star as childhood pals who take different paths, Lundigan taking the straight and narrow and Garfield becoming a thug, but they’re both in love with Brenda Marshall. A familiar story enlivened by Garfield’s presence.

Flowing Gold (1940) – Garfield, once again falsely accused of murder, takes a job on the oil fields working for Pat O’Brien. Frances Farmer plays the third point of this love triangle.

Saturday’s Children (1940) – Garfield gets an atypical role as an inventor with big dreams but little success who marries co-worker Anne Shirley. The indispensable Claude Rains costars as Shirley’s father.

Dangerously They Live (1941) – Garfield plays an American doctor who comes to the aid of Allied spy Nancy Coleman when they’re captured by Nazis led by Raymond Massey.

The FBI: The Complete Eighth Season (1972-73) – The penultimate season of Efrem Zimbalist Jr.’s long-running crime series. Keep your eyes peeled for such 70s-era guest stars as David Soul, Robert Urich, Sondra Locke, Mariette Hartley and more.

Six By Sondheim (2013) – A terrific documentary look at the creative process of Stephen Sondheim, America’s greatest musical theatre composer (this is not up for debate), through interviews, archival performances and newly-produced numbers.

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

I Was An Adventuress (1940) – Vera Zorina (a ballet dancer who was apparently such a star that she was credited simply as “Zorina” in this picture) stars as a con artist who falls in love with her mark but can’t get rid of her partners-in-crime, Erich von Stroheim and Peter Lorre (!!). I’d be surprised if this was all that great but the lure of seeing von Stroheim and Lorre together is tantalizing.

The Cowboy And The Blonde (1941) – That’d be George Montgomery and Mary Beth Hughes in this comedy-western B-movie.

Howdy-do and welcome to the first Burnt Offerings column for the month o’ June. There are some good titles coming down the track this month, so let’s take a look at the latest from Warner Archive, Sony and anybody else who decides to play along. As usual, don’t be afraid of the four little rectangles below this paragraph. Clicking on them takes you to such magical destinations as the Warner Archive Shop and the Amazon Shop, where you can…you know, shop. Not to mention that doing so helps support The Bits and we thank you profusely for doing so. [Read on here...]

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Desire Me (1947) – Greer Garson mistakenly believes her husband (Robert Mitchum) was killed in the war and falls in love with his army buddy (Richard Hart). Here’s an interesting bit of trivia: this movie has no credited director. George Cukor was fired in the middle of production and was replaced by several others, including Mervyn LeRoy, none of whom wanted their names on the end product.

The Law And The Lady (1951) – The third film version of The Last Of Mrs. Cheyney (Warner Archive released the two earlier versions from 1929 and 1937 earlier this year). Greer Garson steps into the role of the jewel thief previously portrayed by Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford.

Scandal At Scourie (1953) – Garson reteams with her frequent costar Walter Pidgeon for the last time in this not-too scandalous family drama. Garson and Pidgeon are a Protestant couple who shock their small Canadian town when they adopt a little Catholic girl.

Strange Lady In Town (1955) – Garson plays a frontier doctor who tries to bring modern medicine techniques to Santa Fe, only to lock horns with rival sawbones Dana Andrews.

Dr. Kildare: The Complete Third Season (1963-64) – Richard Chamberlain and Raymond Massey return to the venerable medical series along with such A-list guest stars as Lauren Bacall, Charles Bronson, Gena Rowlands and many more. The 9-disc collection includes all 34 episodes.

Teacher’s Pet (1958) – Two Paramount titles starring Clark Gable come back into print this week. First up, Gable’s an old-school newspaper man who butts heads with journalism professor Doris Day in this breezy romantic comedy.

It Started In Naples (1960) – Gable goes to Italy and discovers that his late brother has left behind a young son who is being raised by the one-and-only Sophia Loren. Lucky kid.

NEW FROM THE SONY PICTURES CHOICE COLLECTION

The Walls Came Tumbling Down (1946) – This sounds like a fun little B-picture. Reporter Lee Bowman turns detective when his old priest is murdered by thieves looking for a rare painting.

The Wreck Of The Hesperus (1948) – Willard Parker goes into the salvage business after losing the captaincy of his own ship, then begins to suspect that the wrecks he’s going after aren’t as accidental as they seem. “Based” on the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Sure.

Just You And Me, Kid (1979) – George Burns and Brooke Shields, together at last! George plays an ex-vaudeville star who takes in teen runaway Brooke, on the run from some nasty drug dealers.

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

The Cisco Kid (1931) – Warner Baxter returns as the legendary Cisco Kid in this sequel to 1928’s In Old Arizona.

Crack-Up (1936) – Peter Lorre stars as the awesomely named Colonel Gimpy, a spy after the plans to a new experimental aircraft.

Hold That Co-Ed (1938) – John Barrymore has one of his best roles as Governor Gabby Harrigan in this slight but entertaining comedy.

Blood And Steel (1959) – A B-movie programmer with American and Japanese soldiers duking it out over a small island in WW2.

I thought this week’s column was going to be short and sweet, thanks to the Memorial Day holiday. That is, until I learned that Universal had reactivated their stealth MOD program and released no less than 20 new titles. Plus, we’ve got new stuff from Warner and 20th Century Fox, so get comfy. And if something catches your eye, don’t forget to click on the banners below, buy nifty discs and help support The Bits, all of which we appreciate very much. So thanks in advance! [Read on here...]

NEW FROM THE UNIVERSAL VAULT SERIES

For The Defense (1930) – William Powell stars as a slick defense attorney who specializes in getting guilty parties off the hook.

Mrs. Wiggs Of The Cabbage Patch (1934) – A very atypical W.C. Fields movie with Fields playing a supporting role to Pauline Lord as the title character.

Thirty Day Princess (1934) – Sylvia Sidney stars as a princess visiting the US and as a lookalike actress engaged to impersonate her when she takes ill. Cary Grant costars and this was also in the Cary Grant: Screen Legend Collection.

The Good Fairy (1935) – Margaret Sullavan stars as a young woman struggling to make it on her own in this comedy from director William Wyler. The fact that her character’s name is Lu Ginglebuscher should be your first hint that the screenplay is by Preston Sturges. This has previously been released on DVD by Kino.

Wings In The Dark (1935) – Cary Grant stars as an aerospace engineer who is blinded in an accident. Myrna Loy is the stunt pilot who loves him. Also available in the Cary Grant: Screen Legend Collection.

Big Brown Eyes (1936) – Detective Cary Grant recruits Joan Bennett to help him nab a gang of jewel thieves. This was also previously available in the Cary Grant: Screen Legend Collection.

True Confession (1937) – Carole Lombard stars as a pathological liar accused of murder and can’t even get her lawyer husband (Fred MacMurray) to believe she didn’t do it. Also available in the Carole Lombard: Glamour Collection.

If I Were King (1938) – Another Preston Sturges script distinguishes this period adventure with Ronald Colman as French poet/adventurer Francois Villon.

No Room For The Groom (1952) – Tony Curtis returns home from the war to find that wife Piper Laurie has moved her large, extended family into their home. Douglas Sirk directs this comedy.

The Mississippi Gambler (1953) – Tyrone Power brings riverboat gambling to New Orleans.

Lady Godiva Of Coventry (1955) – I’d be a lot more excited about seeing Maureen O’Hara as the legendary naturist if this was made in any other decade other than the 50s. Oh, well. Keep your eyes peeled for Clint Eastwood as “First Saxon”.

I Saw What You Did (1965) – One of William Castle’s best suspense movies reunites him with Joan Crawford. A pair of teenage girls prank calls random strangers and whisper the title phrase, landing them in big trouble when they call somebody who just murdered his wife. This was released on DVD by Anchor Bay about a million years ago but it’s been out of print for a long time. I’m glad to see it’s finally back in circulation.

Mad About Mambo (2000) – William Ash stars as an Irish high school student who signs up for dance lessons to improve his soccer game and falls in love with his partner, Keri Russell.

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Men Of The Fighting Lady (1954) – Van Johnson and Walter Pidgeon star in this Korean War action flick set aboard the USS Oriskany, an aircraft carrier stationed in the Sea of Japan.

Longmire: The Complete First And Second Seasons (2012-13) – I’ll be honest, I don’t really follow television so I didn’t even know this was a thing until it was announced for Blu-ray release. But it sounds like a pretty good show, so fans of the A&E series should be pleased with the arrival of the first two seasons on Blu.

Kung Fu – The Legend Continues: The Complete First Season (1993-94) – More TVD this week as David Carradine returns in this 90s spinoff of the original 1970s martial arts series. He plays the grandson of his character from the original Kung Fu, teamed with his cop son (Chris Potter).

Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles (2013) – Silverman takes the stage at the Largo in front of in audience of 39 souls. I actually caught this stand-up special awhile back and it’s very funny. Check it out.

Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 (2014) – HBO Documentary Films takes a sobering look at the work of the Veterans Crisis Line, helping those who served cope with post-traumatic stress and depression.

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

Maryland (1940) – Fay Bainter stars as a woman whose husband is killed in a horse-riding accident and subsequently forbids her son (John Payne) from having anything to do with the animals. Easier said than done, especially when Payne falls under the influence of trainer Walter Brennan.

Woman’s World (1954) – Clifton Webb needs to find a successor for his Big Business and is hiring policies depend just as much on the executive-to-be’s wife as his own skills. An all-star cast vies for the job, including June Allyson, Van Heflin, Lauren Bacall, Fred MacMurray, Arlene Dahl and Cornel Wilde.

The Bottom Of The Bottle (1956) – Joseph Cotten’s respectable life is jeopardized by the sudden arrival of his boozehound fugitive brother, Van Johnson. Based on a novel by Georges Simenon.

Warner Archive is treating us to a few Most Wanted picks this week, throwing a long overdue spotlight on Clark Gable. Toss in some cowboys and some more classic Hanna-Barbera animation and you’ve got yourself a pretty tasty lineup of MOD releases. Let’s check ‘em out and don’t forget to click ‘n’ shop at Warner Archive and Amazon via the lineup of banners separating this paragraph from that one. [Read on here...]

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

After Office Hours (1935) – Gable’s a newspaper man schmoozing society gal Constance Bennett, using her charm to investigate a murder. It’s one of those mixtures of comedy, romance and crime that they seemed to only make in the 1930s.

Hell Divers (1931) – Gable is teamed with top-billed Wallace Beery in this tale of rival naval pilots. Produced with the cooperation of the United States Navy, so I’d expect a fair amount of flag-waving.

Parnell (1937) – Gable and Myrna Loy suffered one of the biggest flops of their careers with this expensive biopic about 1880s Irish politician Charles Stewart Parnell. This one is probably for curiosity seekers only, although collectors of legendarily terrible movies will want to grab it immediately.

Test Pilot (1938) – Gable and Loy fared much better with this contemporary adventure drama. Gable’s a hotshot test pilot and Spencer Tracy costars as his best pal/chief mechanic. This is one of the better buddy movies of its era and has been long requested on DVD.

The Jetsons: Season 3 (1987) – Meet George Jetson one more time as the space-age family wraps it up with their final ten episodes.

Monogram Cowboy Collection: Volume 8 (1941-50) – Johnny Mack Brown and the Rough Riders (Buck Jones, Tim McCoy and Raymond Hatton) feature in this latest collection of B-westerns from Monogram Pictures. The four-disc set includes the following dozen titles: Arizona Bound (1941), The Gunman From Bodie (1941), Forbidden Trails (1941), Below The Border (1942), Ghost Town Law (1942), West Of The Law (1942), Law Of The Valley (1944), West Of The Rio Grande (1944), Silver Range (1946), Over The Border (1950), Six Gun Mesa (1950) and West Of Wyoming (1950). Giddy-up!

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

Chad Hanna (1940) – Country boy Henry Fonda runs off and joins the circus in this slice of Americana costarring Dorothy Lamour and Linda Darnell.

Springtime In The Rockies (1942) – The classic Technicolor musical with Betty Grable and Carmen Miranda arrives on DVD for the first time.

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

The Wind And The Lion (1975) – Writer/director John Milius is enjoying a bit of a resurgence these days with the release of the Epix documentary Milius and a reappraisal of his work. This ’75 adventure, now making its Blu-ray debut, ranks among his best. Sean Connery stars as a sheik who kidnaps American Candice Bergen, lighting an international incident that attracts the attention of Teddy Roosevelt (Brian Keith). This is a good one, folks. Check ‘er out.

Seduced And Abandoned (2013) – James Toback and Alec Baldwin trek to the Cannes Film Festival in search of financing for a new film. At least, that’s the pretext for this state-of-the-art-form documentary snapshot that debuted on HBO. Ryan Gosling, Jessica Chastain, Martin Scorsese and a host of others also make appearances.

Maverick: The Complete Fifth Season (1961-62) – The final 13 episodes of the original series places the focus solely on Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick, with James Garner and the rest of the extended Maverick clan having ridden off into the sunset.

Without A Trace: The Complete Seventh Season (2008-09) – The final 24 episodes of the CBS Missing Persons show with Anthony LaPaglia and Poppy Montgomery.

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

Kentucky (1938) – Walter Brennan won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in this horse-racing drama. Loretta Young and Richard Greene are young, in love, and forced apart due to an old family rivalry.

Forever Amber (1947) – Finally, from the “It’s About Freakin’ Time” Department, we get this JET’s Most Wanted pick directed by Otto Preminger. Linda Darnell stars as a young country girl who rises through the social strata to join the court of King Charles II (George Sanders). David Raksin’s score was nominated for an Oscar.

Sorry this column is appearing a little later than usual this week. But I would be remiss in my duties as The Bits’ official chronicler of Manufactured-On-Demand titles if I didn’t chime in on this week’s offerings. There are a few very intriguing discs this week, so head over to Ye Olde Warner Shoppe Dot Com (via yon banner) for Warner Archive’s titles and Amazon’s Wonder Emporium for your Fox desires. [Read on here...]

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Hit The Deck (1955) – Warner Archive’s latest Blu-ray release is this late-era MGM musical with Debbie Reynolds, Jane Powell, Ann Miller and many more. I believe this is Variation #2,892 on the “Sailors On Shore Leave” musical plot.

The Cars: Heartbeat City (1984) – Here’s the week’s biggest and most pleasant surprise, for my money. The Cars’ long out-of-print “Video Album” of their classic ’84 LP finally makes the jump from VHS to DVD. Ric Ocasek, Benjamin Orr and the band perform “You Might Think”, “Drive” and more in music videos directed by such folks as Timothy Hutton and Andy Warhol. Perfect programming for your next MTV Flashback Weekend. What, you do have those, don’t you?

Bret Maverick: The Complete Series (1981) – James Garner returned to his second most iconic character (or maybe his most iconic, if you’re older than I am) in this short-lived NBC series. Westerns weren’t exactly at the height of their popularity in 1981, so it isn’t a huge surprise that this didn’t catch on. But it’s reportedly pretty entertaining and worth a look for Garner fans, a group that should include just about everybody.

Irene (1940) – Playboy Ray Milland romances shopgirl Anna Neagle in this adaptation of the popular Broadway musical that includes an extended sequence in living Technicolor.

Smartest Girl In Town/She’s Got Everything (1936-37) – Ann Sothern and Gene Raymond take the spotlight in the first of two double feature discs this week. In Smartest Girl In Town, Ann’s a model on the prowl for a rich husband. Gene fits the bill but Ann mistakenly thinks he’s broke, so won’t give him the time of day. In the second feature, she’s an heiress who inherits her father’s mountain of debts and IOUs.

The Mayor Of 444th Street/Radio Stars On Parade (1942-45) – A double feature of Music and The Mob movies. In Mayor, George Murphy is a booking agent in trouble with tough guy Richard Barthelmess. Radio features the comedy stylings of Brown & Carney as they struggle to keep their agency afloat.

Broadway Bill (1934) – The first of four Paramount titles coming back into print from Warner Archive this week. Frank Capra directs Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy in this comedy about a man who married for money who risks everything on a racehorse.

Detective Story (1951) – Kirk Douglas stars in this noir-ish adaptation of the play depicting a day in the life of New York’s 21st Precinct.

Islands In The Stream (1977) – A pretty good adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s book about a sculptor who lives on an isolated island visited by his three young sons. Not a great movie but George C. Scott’s performance makes it worth checking out.

Falling In Love (1984) – Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep star in this Brief Encounter-like romance. A surprisingly pedestrian and forgettable movie considering the stars and the fact that this was one of the few films directed by the underrated Ulu Grosbard.

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

Star Dust (1940) – Another early Hollywood you-oughtta-be-in-pictures yarn with Linda Darnell as a young starlet signed to an exclusive contract by talent scout Roland Young.

Good Morning, Miss Dove (1955) – A heartwarming piece of Americana with Jennifer Jones as a small town schoolteacher reflecting on the students whose lives she touched over the years.

Decline And Fall…Of A Birdwatcher (1968) – Robin Phillips stars in this adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s satirical novel. This tries, a little too hard, to be like the 1965 movie version of Waugh’s The Loved One.

But WonderCon is invading Anaheim this weekend and Warner Archive has a big presence with several panels and a booth on the floor. Smart money says to expect a few announcements to trickle out of the con, so keep your eyes and ears open. In the meantime, here is Warner Archive’s panel schedule, for those of you heading to Anaheim. [Read on here...]

7:00–8:00pm Toonstock with Warner Archive Collection – There’s no better way to start WonderCon’s Saturday night than with a spotlight on toe-tapping, music-themed animated TV series from the past 50 years, including Josie and Pussycats in Outer Space, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids, The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan, Jabberjaw and more. Warner Archive Collection podcast hosts Matt Patterson and DW Ferranti – and a few surprises – offer a fun look/listen to great themes songs from 1960-1990s. Room 300AB

Sunday, 4/20/14

Noon–1:00pm From Chuck Norris to Mr. T: Real-Life Toons and Back Again! – Not only have a bevy of live-action stars like Chuck Norris, Mr. T and the Globetrotters played huge roles in nearly forgotten cartoons, but many popular ‘toon heroes – like The Spirit, Captain Marvel and Steel – have made the journey from four-color panels to live-action film. Warner Archive Collection podcast hosts DW Ferranti and Matthew Patterson – and a few surprise guests, like renowned screenwriter Steve E. de Souza (Die Hard, 48 HRS.) – celebrate these luminaries and more in their favorite, sometimes-forgotten adaptations in an undoubtedly hilarious hour-long panel. Room 300AB

3:00–4:00pm GoBots, Warner Archive Collection and beyond! – There are morphing robots and then there’s the GoBots! Warner Archive Collection puts a spotlight on the ultimate transforming robots with a release of the entire series on DVD, and a panel that features the voice of Leader1 himself, Lou Richards; story editor/writer Alan Burnett; writer Kelly Ward; and all-knowing WAC podcast hosts Matthew Patterson and DW Ferranti. Come for the GoBots, stay for all kinds of fun WAC information, including a hearty shout-out to Jonny Quest on his 50th Anniversary. Room 300AB

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Wildcat Bus (1940) – Fay Wray’s Los-Angeles-to-San-Francisco bus route is jeopardized by saboteurs looking to muscle her and her pop out of business! Good news for those of you looking to finally complete your movies-set-on-a-bus collection.

Race Street (1948) – Ex-bookie George Raft tries to go legit by starting a nightclub. But when his best pal is knocked off by protection goons, he knocks heads with cop William Bendix in his quest for vengeance. Another entry in Warner Archive’s ongoing Film Noir collection.

Sky Full Of Moon (1952) – Carleton Carpenter stars as “Tumbleweeds” Williams, a cowpoke with dreams of becoming a big rodeo star in Vegas. Ah, I remember when I had dreams of making it big in the rodeo circuit. Good luck, Tumbleweeds.

A Slight Case Of Larceny (1953) – The late Mickey Rooney costars with Eddie Bracken in this post-war comedy about two pals who open a service station and end up in a shady price war with their competition.

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

Marry The Boss’s Daughter (1941) – Bruce Edwards comes to NYC to make it in Big Business and climbs the corporate ladder with the help of boss’s daughter Brenda Joyce.

That Other Woman (1942) – Secretary Virginia Gilmore schemes to win the heart of her boss (James Ellison).

Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948) – Cornpone romantic comedy about a farmhand, the gal he loves and two mules. This would likely be completely forgotten today if it weren’t for its goofball title and an early, uncredited appearance by Marilyn Monroe.

It’s a mixed bag of MOD madness this week, with animation, musicals and some wonders and oddities coming back into print after a long absence. Plus, there’s word of a couple new Blu-ray releases coming from Warner Archive in the near future: the 1955 musical Hit The Deck and John Milius’ The Wind And The Lion with Sean Connery. More on those gems when they arrive but for now, as per usual, click on the sassy l’il banner on this page to head over to the Warner Archive shop and head over to Amazon for all your Fox needs and desires. [Read on here...]

Caged (1950) – One of the earliest women-in-prison movies and one of the few in that genre to be nominated for Academy Awards. Eleanor Parker, Agnes Moorehead, Ellen Corby and Hope Emerson star in this tough crime picture from director John Cromwell.

Treasure Island (1934) – One of the best versions of Robert Louis Stevenson’s oft-filmed story with Wallace Beery as an unforgettable Long John Silver, Jackie Cooper as Jim Hawkins and Lionel Barrymore as Billy Bones.

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

Footlight Serenade (1942) – Boxer Victor Mature joins a Broadway show and falls for chorus girl Betty Grable, but she’s already engaged to John Payne. Phil Silvers also makes an appearance in this enjoyable musical.

The Pleasure Seekers (1964) – Three American women share an apartment in Madrid and each of them go looking for love in all the wrong places. Ann-Margret, Carol Lynley, and Gene Tierney star in this musical remake of Three Coins In The Fountain, both of which were directed by Jean Negulesco.

It’s a bit of a slow week for Warner Archive but the next waves of Sony and Fox titles are here to pick up the slack, ready to be manufactured upon your demand.

Visit the Warner Archive shop for all your Warner and Sony needs, Amazon for Fox and add discs a’plenty to your shopping carts. [Read on here...]

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

The Last Of Mrs. Cheyney (1929) – Warner Archive released the 1937 remake of this with Joan Crawford just about a month ago. Now it’s time for the original with Norma Shearer and Basil Rathbone, still working the kinks out of this new fad called “talkies”.

Her Cardboard Lover (1942) – Norma Shearer’s final film casts her as a socialite who engages songwriter Robert Taylor to pose as her paramour in an attempt to get rid of her ex-lover George Sanders. Directed by George Cukor from a play adapted by, among others, P.G. Wodehouse, this seems like it ought to have a better reputation considering all the talent involved.

First Cousin Once Removed (2012) – Filmmaker Alan Berliner paints a portrait of his cousin, poet Edwin Honig, as he struggles with Alzheimer’s in this HBO documentary.

Life According To Sam (2013) – More non-fiction from HBO with filmmakers Sean and Andrea Fine getting to know the Berns family and their son, Sam, who suffers from the rare progressive aging disorder, progeria.

The Class: The Complete Series (2006-07) – The short-lived sitcom about a group of third-grade classmates who reunite as adults comes to DVD. I don’t remember this show at all but it stars several people who went on to become familiar faces, including Jason Ritter, Lizzy Caplan, Jon Bernthal and Lucy Punch.

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

The Gay Deception (1935) – Frances Dee wins big in the lottery (five thousand whole dollars!) and immediately heads to New York to blow the whole wad, catching the eye of prince Francis Lederer. Directed by William Wyler.

Bachelor Flat (1962) – The great Frank Tashlin directs this JET’s Most Wanted pick, an attempt to turn UK comic Terry-Thomas into a star in the US. His co-stars include Tuesday Weld, Richard Beymer and Celeste Holm.

The Marriage Of A Young Stockbroker (1971) – Richard Benjamin stars as the bored title character who begins looking outside his marriage for kicks. Co-stars Adam West with a screenplay by the late Lorenzo Semple, Jr.

NEW FROM THE SONY PICTURES CHOICE COLLECTION

Alamo Bay (1985) – Twilight Time recently released this Louis Malle film on Blu-ray and it’s still available (as of this writing) from Screen Archives Entertainment. But if you’d rather go the MOD route for some reason, Sony’s got you covered.

Bait (1954) – Cult auteur Hugo Haas directs and co-stars in this odd noir about mining partners at odds and the blonde bombshell (Cleo Moore) who comes between them.

Confessions Of A Window Cleaner (1974) – Robin Askwith and Anthony Booth starred in several “Confessions” movies in the 1970s, naughty British comedies in the Carry On mold. This one was the first, directed by Val Guest, and maybe the best, although they’re all reputed to be pretty god-awful.

Confessions Of A Driving Instructor (1976) – Askwith and Booth return for more. Millions of others did not.

This week, the wild world of MOD brings us new titles from Warner Archive, some returning favorites from Paramount (via Warner Archive) and some highly desired classics from 20th Century Fox. As always, Warner Archive discs are available from Ye Olde Warner Shoppe, just a click away thanks to banner magic, and Fox discs are purchasable from Amazon.com. I’m sure there’s something somewhere on this page that’ll get you there. [Read on here...]

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Green Lantern: The Animated Series (2011-13) – DC’s cosmic superhero was better served in this Cartoon Network series than in his big-screen Ryan Reynolds incarnation. Now on Blu-ray, this two-disc set includes all 26 episodes of the series.

Medical Center: The Complete Fourth Season (1972-73) – Chad Everett returns with 24 more episodes of the popular medical series. This time, he’s got such guest stars as John Ritter, Bill Bixby, Larry Hagman and Ruth Buzzi.

PARAMOUNT TITLES BACK IN PRINT VIA WARNER ARCHIVE

The Adventures Of Sebastian Cole (1998) – Adrian Grenier and Clark Gregg, both a long way from Entourage and S.H.I.E.L.D., star in this indie comedy-drama.

Angela’s Ashes (1999) – Alan Parker brings Frank McCourt’s beloved memoir to the screen. It’s a nice try but it can’t come close to capturing the magic of the book, although Emily Watson’s performance is terrific.

Bloody Sunday (2002) – Paul Greengrass directs this excellent dramatization of the notorious massacre of Irish civil rights protestors in 1972. Jeez, between this and Angela’s Ashes, Warner sure picked an uplifting way to say Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Brain Donors (1992) – John Turturro, Mel Smith and Bob Nelson star in this ill-advised but almost successful attempt at creating a modern day Marx Brothers movie. It sounds like it should be a terrible idea but it works better than it has any right to.

King David (1985) – Richard Gere takes the title role in this biblical epic from director Bruce Beresford and a decade (the 1980s) not exactly known for its biblical epics.

Lady Jane (1986) – Helena Bonham Carter stars as the young woman placed reluctantly on the throne of England. This was her follow-up to A Room With A View and confirmed her as a major new talent.

The Lonely Man (1957) – Gunslinger Jack Palance tries to reconnect with his son, Anthony Perkins. I’m not familiar with this but whoever decided to cast Palance and Perkins as father and son deserves some kind of award.

Mean Machine (2001) – Adam Sandler wasn’t the first person to remake Robert Aldrich’s The Longest Yard. That honor goes to Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham. They switch one type of football for another in this UK version.

Permanent Record (1988) – A high school class is thrown into turmoil when one of their classmates commits suicide. This is one of the better teen dramas of the 80s with a surprisingly good performance by Keanu Reeves.

The Reckoning (2002) – Paul Bettany stars as a disgraced priest who hides out with a traveling band of performers led by Willem Dafoe in this medieval murder mystery. I wanted to like this one but it never quite took off for me. Your mileage may vary.

Testament (1983) – This is the real keeper from this week’s batch of Paramount titles, a quiet, understated story about a woman (Jane Alexander) trying to keep her family from falling apart in the aftermath of a nuclear war. This was overshadowed in ’83 by the much bigger and louder The Day After but this is the superior movie. Well worth checking out.

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

Dante’s Inferno (1935) – Spencer Tracy stars as an unscrupulous carnival owner in this drama that doesn’t really have much to do with Dante apart from a brief but unforgettable sequence depicting Hell and the tortures of the damned.

Esther And The King (1960) – Joan Collins stars in this Bible story for director Raoul Walsh with cinematography by the great Mario Bava.

Sodom And Gomorrah (1962) – Robert Aldrich directs Stewart Granger in this biblical epic. Aldrich isn’t the first guy I’d peg to helm a biblical movie but if he was gonna do one, I’m not surprised it was this.

Big release news today: Warner Home Video has just officially announced the Blu-ray and DVD release of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug on 4/8. There’s a Blu-ray/DVD Combo pack (SRP $35.99), a Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD Combo pack (SRP $44.95) and a rental DVD version (priced at $22.97). This is of course the theatrical version of the film. Extras on both Blu-ray versions will include Production Videos, New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth, Part 2 and something called Peter Jackson Invites You to the Set. There’s no word yet on the forthcoming BD and BD3D release of the Extended Edition of the film, but if the past is any predictor (and it usually is) look for those to street on either 11/4 or 11/11. Meanwhile, you’ll find the cover artwork below. [Read on here...]

Sort of a slowish week on the MOD front but there are a few items worth checking out. As usual, Warner Archive’s offerings are available from the dubya dubya dubya Warner Archive dot com, easily accessed via the handsome banner you see before you. Fox’s Cinema Archives discs are available on Amazon. [Read on here…]

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Beware The Batman: Shadows Of Gotham, Season One, Part One (2013) – I can’t keep track of all the different animated incarnations of Batman anymore. This Cartoon Network effort flew completely beneath my radar but it looks kind of cool and I’m sure it’s pretty spectacular looking on Blu-ray.

The Vitaphone Comedy Collection, Volume Two: Shemp Howard (1933-37) – Warner Archive has done a terrific job with their vast library of Vitaphone shorts, collecting them into handsome, themed packages. Their second collection of comedy shorts throws the spotlight on once-and-future Stooge Shemp Howard and includes the popular Joe Palooka shorts, based on the long-running comic strip.

What Price, Hollywood? (1932) – I’ve wanted to see this one for a long time. George Cukor directs this backstage drama about an alcoholic filmmaker (Lowell Sherman) who takes waitress Constance Bennett under his wing and turns her into a star. The plot was essentially recycled a few years later as A Star Is Born.

Americans In Bed (2013) – HBO Documentaries presents… well, Americans in bed. Couples from a wide range of ages, ethnicities and sexual orientations discuss their relationships from the comfort and security of their snuggle-places.

NEW FROM 20THCENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

Margin For Error (1943) – This sounds genuinely odd. Milton Berle plays a Jewish cop assigned to guard the German consulate in New York City run by Otto Preminger, who also directs. This is one of the weirder World War II propaganda movies I’ve heard of.

Some cool stuff is ready to be manufactured upon your demand this week, including a very rare curio from Hollywood’s Golden Age and a few long out of print titles finally making a comeback. Warner Archive titles are available by clicking on the little blue-and-white WB shield below and going to the Warner Archive shop. 20th Century Fox titles are available on Amazon. [Read on here...]

NEW FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Free And Easy (1930) – Buster Keaton’s first talking picture casts him as the small-town manager of beauty pageant winner Anita Page, hoping to hit the big time in Hollywood. The movie has been released on disc before (in the TCM Archives set The Buster Keaton Collection) but this disc throws in something extra: the alternate Spanish-language version entitled Estrellados. Like Universal’s Dracula, a second version of the film was created for the Spanish-speaking audience with an entirely different cast except for Keaton. This rarity has been something of a holy grail for Buster fanatics, making this release a very pleasant surprise.

Marine Boy: The Complete Second Season (1966-67) – The aquatic animated adventures of Marine Boy, Dr. Mariner and Splasher the dolphin continue in this three-disc collection.

Broadway Melody Of 1940 (1940) – Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell star in the fourth and final entry in the popular Broadway Melody series with classic songs by Cole Porter. Finally back in print, Warner Archive’s release includes the Our Gang short and featurette from the original 2003 DVD.

I’ll See You In My Dreams (1951) – Doris Day and Danny Thomas star in this musical biopic about Gus Kahn, writer of such songs as “Makin’ Whoopee”. The out-of-print 2007 DVD included a short and a Looney Tunes cartoon, both of which are included here.

The Year Of Living Dangerously (1982) – The eternally underrated Peter Weir directs Mel Gibson, Sigourney Weaver and Oscar winner Linda Hunt in this political drama. I’m glad this is available again but disappointed that it’s not on Blu-ray.

The World According To Garp (1982) – Robin Williams gives one of his best performances in this underappreciated adaptation of the John Irving novel, surrounded by a stellar supporting cast including John Lithgow and Glenn Close. Again, would a Blu-ray have been too much to ask?

NEW FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

5 Fingers (1952) – James Mason stars as an ambassador’s valet turned spy, selling state secrets to the Germans.

As one year fades away and a new year begins, it seems like a good idea to take a look at where the MOD initiative stands. And what better way to do that than by handing out some good old fashioned letter grades?

Yes, it’s time for the official Burnt Offerings 2013 Studio Report Card! Single file, children, and make sure you have your CEOs sign your report card and return them to me when the new term begins. [Read on here...]

Warner Archive Collection

The gold standard in MOD continues to be the studio that created it in the first place. Warner Archive had a stellar year with a wide range of releases ranging from classics to cult oddities to cartoons to made-for-TV series and movies. Their fledgling Blu-ray program, launched in late 2012, released a handful of eagerly awaited, high-quality titles like The Hudsucker Proxy, Greystoke, Billy Rose’s Jumbo and Fearless. The studio also ventured into streaming media with Warner Archive Instant, with hundreds of titles now available, many in 1080p High Def, for just $9.99 a month. And Warner’s distribution deal with Paramount brought a number of Paramount titles back into print via Warner Archive, including such gems as Searching For Bobby Fischer and Targets. Their diverse selection and high quality, coupled with a vibrant social media presence on the Facebooks and the Twitters and such, make Warner Archive tops in their game. If you’re going to do an MOD program, this is the way to do it.

Sony Pictures Choice Collection

Sony’s program slowed down a bit in 2013, with many of their “new” releases simply out-of-print titles reissued on MOD. Some of these selections were a little mystifying. Why would anybody want Sony’s MOD version of Anatomy of a Murder when they can get it on DVD or Blu-ray from Criterion? But there were a few gems, including Carl Reiner’s supremely underrated The Comic and the long-awaited release of two TV-movie episodes of the 70s cult sci-fi series Salvage 1. Let’s hope 2014 sees the release of the complete series. But even if the studio isn’t digging as deeply into its catalog as I might like, at least the quality of their releases has remained consistently high.

Universal Vault Series

For awhile there, it seemed as though Universal had forgotten the combination to its Vault, with months passing between releases. The studio’s insistence on running the program in stealth mode with virtually no promotion doesn’t help matters. But intrepid collectors were rewarded with a few choice discs, including the 1984 cult comedy The Wild Life. Most readers have reported that the disc does indeed boast the original soundtrack, although I’ve heard from a couple who insist that this is the altered VHS music. Unfortunately, Universal isn’t particularly communicative when it comes to Vault releases, so I cannot say definitively what we’ve got here. We’ll keep trying, though. The Universal Vault Series isn’t bad but it should be a lot better. The studio needs to stop treating it like an afterthought and really commit some resources to it.

Grade: C+

Best Releases of 2013: Bates Motel (1987) / Little Man, What Now? / This Day And Age / Tillie And Gus / The Wild Life

20th Century Fox Cinema Archives

If you’re a classic movie lover, Fox’s Cinema Archives should be a dream come true. They had a robust release schedule in 2013, releasing dozens of movies, none of which had ever been on DVD before. The problem is their work is often sloppy. Most movies from the 1930s and 40s are fine but widescreen pictures are frequently released in their pan-and-scan versions. And this isn’t an isolated incident, it’s happened repeatedly. At this point in the game, we shouldn’t have to worry about this anymore. There are plenty of good movies in Fox’s lineup. If they just step up the quality of their work, I’d be only to happy to raise their grade next year.

Grade: C-

Best Releases of 2013: The Beautiful Blonde From Bashful Bend / Cry Of The City / George White’s 1935 Scandals / The Meanest Man In The World / Moss Rose / No Highway In The Sky / Western Union

MGM Limited Edition Collection

Bueller? Bueller? Anybody? What happened, MGM? From the looks of things, MGM hasn’t released a new MOD title since the summer of 2012. That’s a shame because after a rocky start, MGM was doing some good work, with a diverse lineup of cult favorites and classics. Time to either get back in the saddle or let us know when you’ll be holding the funeral.

Grade: F

That’ll do it for this year! Burnt Offerings will be back at the end of January with a look at what’s new in the MOD world and at the end of every month following. Have a safe and Happy New Year, all! See you soon.

This week’s Burnt Offerings include titles from Paramount returning to print courtesy of Warner Archive and a quartet of classics from 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives.

Let’s kick things off with the latest from the Warner Archive Collection.

WARNER ARCHIVE – NEW THIS WEEK

Going Hollywood (1933) – Marion Davies and Bing Crosby star in this musical from director Raoul Walsh. Crosby plays a radio crooner (quite a stretch, I realize) who goes to L.A. to make his movie debut. Davies is a schoolteacher with a crush who follows him, determined to win him over. Evidently restraining orders weren’t around back in 1933. [...]

Kilroy Was Here (1947) – Former child stars Jackie Cooper and Jackie Coogan (the Coreys of their day) team up for this Monogram Pictures comedy. Cooper plays John J. Kilroy who struggles to live down his notorious name. Yep, even in the 40s they made movies based solely on fleetingly popular catchphrases.

Lost Angel (1943) – Margaret O’Brien plays Alpha, a child genius raised by scientists at the Institute of Child Psychology. After she’s interviewed by reporter James Craig, she begins to realize the magic of childhood is passing her by. So she runs away and asks Craig to show her what she’s been missing.

Where Are Your Children? (1943) – That’s a darn good question when teenager Gale Storm falls in with a group of juvenile delinquents and ends up an accessory to murder. Jackie Cooper costars as Storm’s Navy-bound boyfriend with all the wrong connections.

Cheyenne: The Complete Sixth Season (1961-62) – Clint Walker’s classic TV Western enters its second-to-last season with such notable guest stars as James Coburn, Lee Van Cleef and Ellen Burstyn.

Hunted: The Complete First Season (2012) – The X-Files’ Frank Spotnitz created this Cinemax series with Melissa George as spy Sam Hunter, betrayed by her own employers at the private security firm Byzantium. Seems like Byzantium would have made for a more interesting and dynamic title than Hunted but what do I know.

PARAMOUNT – BACK IN PRINT FROM WARNER ARCHIVE

All In A Night’s Work (1961) – Dean Martin inherits his uncle’s publishing industry and a scandal involving towel-clad researcher Shirley MacLaine in this screwball comedy.

Fire In The Sky (1993) – D.B. Sweeney stars as UFO abductee Travis Walton in this better-than-you-might-expect science maybe-fiction-maybe-fact movie. It’s given a boost by a terrific supporting cast that includes Robert Patrick, Henry Thomas, Craig Sheffer, Peter Berg and James Garner.

My Geisha (1962) – Shirley MacLaine disguises herself as a geisha to convince her filmmaker husband Yves Montand that she’s the right actress to star in his adaptation of Madame Butterfly. One of a handful of pictures directed by legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff.

On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970) – Barbra Streisand undergoes hypnosis treatment from Yves Montand and finds herself reliving past lives in this odd musical from director Vincente Minnelli. The supporting cast includes Bob Newhart and Jack Nicholson. I stumbled upon this on TV many years ago. I believe the exact words out of my mouth were, “What the hell is this?”

Riding High (1950) – Frank Capra remakes his own 1934 film Broadway Bill as a musical with Bing Crosby as a down-and-out horse trainer. Oliver Hardy makes one of his rare screen appearances without Stan Laurel in this.

Stuart Saves His Family (1995) – Senator Al Franken brings his Saturday Night Live character Stuart Smalley to the big screen. Believe it or not, this is actually one of the better SNL movies, which I realize isn’t necessarily saying much.

20TH CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

April Love (1957) – Pat Boone and Shirley Jones make hay while the sun shines on Pat’s old Kentucky farm in this wholesome musical. Fox has taken some heat for releasing pan-and-scan MOD discs of widescreen movies. Sadly, this CinemaScope release seems to be no exception to that rule.

No Highway In The Sky (1951) – James Stewart plays an engineer trying desperately to convince the crew of the plane he’s on that a design flaw will cause it to crash within hours of takeoff. Marlene Dietrich costars as one of the few passengers who believe him. This is a taut, terrific little thriller and I’m genuinely surprised it hasn’t been released on DVD until now.

Ramona (1936) – If you live in southern California, you’re probably familiar with Helen Hunt Jackson’s novel Ramona, even if you aren’t aware of it. This version stars Loretta Young as the half-Indian girl raised begrudgingly by a wealthy landowner. Don Ameche plays her Indian lover.

Sweet And Low-Down (1944) – A wartime musical about a young trombone player who gets his big break when he’s invited to join Benny Goodman’s big band. The plot and performances are kind of beside the point, though. This is all about Goodman’s music, which was never better.